Two students, one virtual and one hybrid, share how they go about their school day.

Junior Johnny Jaldin: VIRTUAL

7:30 a.m.
Start of the day
I wake up and check my phone to see if I have any notifications and go back to sleep until my next alarm goes off 20 minutes later. If I feel good when the alarm goes off, then I get up. If I don’t feel good when I wake up, I go back to sleep for another 10 minutes before turning on my computer and getting ready for class. Usually, I go to class in my pajamas because it’s not like anyone can see me anyways.

9:40 a.m.
Breakfast
Normally, I eat breakfast after my first class during the break before the start of my next class. I eat whatever I have at home which is usually cereal and sometimes I might make a breakfast sandwich when I have enough time to make it in between classes. It all really just depends on how much time I have and what I have at home. It’s nice being at home because I can also grab food during the first few minutes of class while people still log on.

11:08 a.m.
Free time
In between classes, if I’m not finishing work from the previous class, I’m on my phone either playing games or watching YouTube. Sometimes, I will even go on Netflix or Disney+ for some downtime or a brain break. I can also quickly grab a snack from the kitchen if I’m hungry. I really have a lot of flexibility in my schedule during virtual learning and seem to have a lot of downtime which is nice because I can use that time in whatever way I want.

1:30 p.m.
During classes
Most of the time, I do pay attention during my classes. I might check my phone or respond to a text here and there, but I always complete my work and fully participate in class activities. When teachers will give us time in class to do work, if I finish early, I might go on my phone to play some games, but I only do that after I finish my work because I don’t want to fall behind in my classes.

2:50 p.m.
End of the day
Directly after school finishes, I relax for an hour to give myself a well-deserved mental break before starting homework. I try my best to finish homework as soon as possible, but sometimes I don’t feel like doing work right away, so I’ll take some time to myself. I’ll typically use my phone to watch YouTube or play games and then I’ll get back to completing my work. It really just depends on how busy my day was and how I feel after school.

Senior Madison Cruz: IN-PERSON

7:00 a.m.
Start of the day
I wake up and check my phone for notifications before getting my things ready for school. I make sure that I put my fully charged laptop into my backpack and that I have my computer charger too. I get dressed in comfortable athletic clothing and make sure I don’t forget to bring a mask! Once I have my things together, I fill up a water bottle and put on my shoes. I then leave my house and drive to school since I have my license.

7:30 a.m.
Breakfast
For breakfast, I will grab something simple if I’m running short of time like a banana or a granola bar. Typically, I like to have heartier breakfast food like scrambled eggs and a bagel so that I don’t have to worry about snacking as much throughout the school day. Since I’m an athlete, I always need to make sure I’m getting enough calories in a day. I need to make sure that I have enough energy for the school day and my after-school practices.

9:40 a.m.
Free time
In between classes, I spend my time walking in the halls. Walking through the halls between classes is much different than last year. The halls are very empty, which makes it easy to get to your classes quicker but also makes the school feel eerie. I miss not being able to walk with friends in the hallways. What’s nice, though, is that many teachers in the hallway are friendly and say hi to students even if they don’t know them.

11:16 a.m.
During classes
When I walk into classes I have to go directly to my seat. In Animation, everyone has assigned seats spaced apart from one another. The classroom feels empty because of the spacing. We can’t really walk around the room and interact with classmates. I do miss being able to talk to communicate during class when Covid did not exist, but even though classes are different than they were last year, I very much enjoy my time in the classroom itself.

2:50 p.m.
End of the day
When the final bell rings to dismiss me from my final period, I turn off my computer, pack up my bag, and walk outside to the parking lot near Ossian Hall. I have student parking near Ossian, so I have to walk a little bit to get there, which I don’t mind because I like getting fresh air. Sometimes I have enough time to go home before my sports practices start, but other times I’ll wait in my car and start to do homework.